Home / News & Views / Monsanto speaks on importance of agricultural innovation to CDO community

Monsanto speaks on importance of agricultural innovation to CDO community

10/28/2016

Monsanto recently reached out to sectors of Cagayan de Oro (CDO) community to raise awareness on issues impacting local agriculture production and the role of agriculture biotechnology in addressing them. The campaign reached out to important stakeholder groups including local farming families, local seed and input distributors, and the general public.

Monsanto Corporate Engagement Lead Charina Garrido-Ocampo and Technology Development Executive John Fajardo led the one-day education and awareness-building activity at Seda Centrio Hotel in CDO. The activity involved education on the different challenges to local agricultural production, as well as the increasing role of sustainable agriculture management and crop innovations to address food security. It also included an open dialogue on issues related to plant biotechnology.

Garrido-Ocampo stressed the need to raise the City’s awareness on the importance of sustainable resource management by adopting both climate-smart farming practices and biotech seed innovations. According to Ocampo, despite the City’s growth as one of the country’s important urban centers, a large part of CDO is still agriculturally dependent. In 2012, about 33% of the City’s total land area is devoted to agriculture, with output comprising of both food (rice, corn) and commercial crops (banana, cacao, root crops).

“Across the country, key agricultural areas are gradually being impacted by a wide array of new challenges brought about by climate change.This campaign seeks to create greater environmental understanding and participation among members of the local community. It is our belief that a strong public understanding of the need for sustainable agriculture is a key step towards ensuring the community’s continued involvement in challenges faced by the local food and agriculture sector,” Garrido-Ocampo said.

Monsanto is also committed in expanding the discussion on the importance of sustainable agriculture among the younger generation. It previously reached out to 980 students in University of the Philippines (UP) Mindanao and the Nazareth High School to feature talks on food sustainability. Monsanto also entered into partnership with UP League of Agricultural Biotechnology Students for a series of student outreach projects, including student agriculture seminars and storytelling activities, which aim to promote the importance of efficient management and conservation of natural resources.

###

About Monsanto PhilippinesMonsanto Philippines is a local unit of Monsanto, a Fortune 500 global power company with a diverse portfolio of advanced biotechnology products produced in 404 facilities in 66 countries. To date, Monsanto Philippines has four facilities spread out across the country, which includes its head office in Alabang, a Refuge-in-a-Bag (RIB) Plant and cold warehouse located in Bulacan, and an R&D station in Mindanao. The company also has partnerships with the Philippine government through the Department of Agriculture as well as the local scientific and academic communities in the promotion of modern agricultural biotechnology. To learn more, please visit www.monsanto.ph.

About MonsantoMonsanto is committed to bringing a broad range of solutions to help nourish our growing world. We produce seeds for fruits, vegetables and key crops – such as corn, soybeans, sorghum, canola, and cotton – that help farmers have better harvests while using water and other important resources more efficiently. We work to find sustainable solutions for soil health, help farmers use data to improve farming practices and conserve natural resources, and provide crop protection products to minimize damage from pests and disease. Through programs and partnerships, we collaborate with farmers, researchers, nonprofit organizations, universities and others to help tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges.